Dalmiya, expelled in 2006, back at helm in 2013!

The Board of Control for Cricket in India’s working committee meeting, as expected, left too many questions unanswered. Asking former BCCI and ICC president Jagmohan Dalmiya to take charge of the proceedings with N Srinivasan agreeing to step aside was not something too many working committee members expected to happen.

Jagmohan Dalmiya Pic/AFP

Sample this. In December 2006, Dalmiya was expelled from the BCCI for misappropriation of funds and bringing the Board into disrepute. The announcement was made by none other than Srinivasan.

“The issue of irregularities and refusal to provide relevant accounts and documents relate primarily to bank transactions of the Pakistan India Lanka Committee (PILCOM) formed for the 1996 World Cup,” Srinivasan, the then treasurer of the Board, said. And now, the same Dalmiya replaces Srinivasan at the helm, it seems.

So, what happens to the basic structure of the Board now? Technically speaking, Dalmiya represents Cricket Association of Bengal. The BCCI constitution does not have a provision of a president stepping aside for a certain period. So in what capacity would Dalmiya conduct the day-to-day affairs of the Board? We don’t know yet.

The BCCI release also mentions that Sanjay Jagdale and Ajay Shirke, who resigned as secretary and treasurer respectively on Friday, have been “requested to withdraw their resignations in the larger interest of the Board”, a request that both of them have refused outright.

So, as things stand now, the BCCI does not have a president, a secretary or a treasurer. Even if the Board wants to buy cricket balls worth Rs 1,000, who is the signing authority for the bill? If Dalmiya signs the bill, then in what capacity? Once again, the Board did not bother to clarify this.

Bizarre Here’s the most bizarre part. The primary reason for Srinivasan to step aside was the alleged involvement of his son-in-law Gurunath Meiyappan in cricket betting. Srinivasan went ahead and announced the probe panel without consulting others. This was one of the major reasons for Shirke and Jagdale to resign from their respective positions.

“They did not even read it (my 46-page report to the disciplinary committee). They are all biased.” Dalmiya said then (December 16, 2006)

Yesterday, the Board did not find it important enough to clarify as to who takes the place of Jagdale in the probe panel.

“I can understand the political angle of it. But I am not sure if Dalmiya even remembers what he did the day before,” a senior Board official told MiD DAY. Dalmiya turned 73 on Friday, but even he wouldn’t have imagined such a birthday gift at this age, perhaps.